Evaluating the best NFL team fits for North Carolina QB Drake Maye
Posted January 9, 2024 5:00 a.m. EST
Updated January 11, 2024 3:53 p.m. EST
The NFL regular season is over.
While NFL teams at the top of the standings will duke it out in the playoffs, the 2024 NFL Draft order is set.
Many draft experts consider USC’s Caleb Wiliams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Most pundits consider Williams to be the superior prospect, but don’t be surprised how the conversation evolves in the coming months. For example, Williams is listed at 6’1” and 215 pounds in the media guide at USC. Let’s see how he measures at the 2024 NFL Combine.
Outside of the quarterback position, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., son of the Hall of Fame receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, is considered to be a top prospect too.
With the 2024 draft order getting finalized with Week 18’s outcomes (barring trades), here are the best fits ranked in order for Maye among the teams with a realistic chance at drafting him.
1. Chicago Bears
A lot can change between now and April's draft, but the consensus among media members in Chicago is the Bears will either draft Williams or trade the first overall pick to build around Justin Fields.
The Bears (7-9) have the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back seasons.
On paper, the Bears have a lot of offensive talent, but the franchise is historically abysmal at quarterback development.
Former Carolina Panthers great Muhsin Muhammad once famously said that Chicago is the place where “receivers go to die.” Perhaps he should have included quarterbacks too.
The Chicago Bears are the NFL’s only franchise that hasn’t had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards in a single season. They are also the NFL’s only franchise where no quarterback has ever thrown for more than 30 touchdowns in a single season.
Erik Kramer’s 1995 season is Chicago’s best statistical season from a quarterback; he threw for 3,838 yards and 29 touchdowns.
No knock on Kramer, but yikes!
However, the Bears are in a decent position heading into the 2024 season because they have the first overall pick again after the blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers for the rights to draft Bryce Young.
Credit Bears general manager Ryan Poles. The haul the Bears got in return from the Panthers is among the NFL’s most-lopsided trades of the 21st century:
- No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft
- Wide receiver D.J. Moore: Moore finished with career highs in 2023 with 96 receptions, 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns.
- No. 10 pick of the 2023 draft: Darnell Wright started all 17 games this season for the Bears at right tackle. Note: Chicago traded the ninth-overall pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the 10th pick and a fourth-round pick in 2024.
- The 2023 second-round pick (No. 61) was traded to the Jaguars (No. 56) and the Bears selected cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. He started 16 games this season. Stevenson also had 86 tackles, four interceptions, 16 pass deflections and two forced fumbles.
- A second-round pick in 2025
The Bears have many questions they need to address before they’d even consider drafting a quarterback, let alone Maye. They include:
- Will head coach Matt Eberflus keep his job for the 2024 season?
- Will the team move on from offensive coordinator Luke Getsy?
- Who could the Bears get to replace Eberflus and/or Getsy?
- Will they keep Fields as he heads into his fourth season? What about if they draft a quarterback? Remember, Fields is still on his rookie contract.
- Can Fields stay healthy for an entire season? He has yet to play a full 17-game regular season.
- Should the Bears pick up Fields’ fifth-year option for the 2025 season?
- What could they get in return for Fields if they traded him?
- What could they get in return for the first overall pick?
If the Bears selected Maye, he would inevitably draw comparisons to another former North Carolina quarterback, Mitch Trubisky.
However, Maye started for the Tar Heels in two full seasons (2022 and 2023) whereas Trubisky only had one collegiate season as the full-time starter (2016). They also played for different coaches: Maye played for Mack Brown and Trubisky for Larry Fedora.
In addition to Moore, the Bears’ receiving corps includes talented tight end Cole Kmet, who has 70 catches on 86 targets for 678 yards and six touchdowns in the 2023 season.
It’s unclear how effective the Bears’ running game would be without Fields, who is a running quarterback.
Don’t forget, the Bears also have their own first-round pick in the 2024 draft. If they selected Maye or Williams, they could use their other pick to select a wide receiver to compliment Moore.
Last, the Bears have positioned themselves well financially to add players via free agency or trades. OverTheCap.com shows the Bears have $60.54 million in salary cap space in 2024, which is seventh most in the NFL.
2. Washington Commanders
The Commanders have secured the No. 2 overall pick after losing Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. It means they are the heavy favorite to select Maye.
A massive overhaul is underway with new owner Josh Harris leading a group that bought the Commanders and FedEx Field from Daniel Snyder for $6.05 billion in 2023.
On Monday, the Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera.
Also, the Commanders are expected to hire Bob Myers to their front office. Myers is the former president of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors. He helped develop the Warriors' franchise, which has won four NBA championships with Steph Curry and company.
The Commanders (4-12) will likely move starter and former North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell to a backup role if they select a quarterback. Howell and Maye are former teammates at UNC.
The Commanders missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season. Washington ended the season without a winning record for the seventh straight year.
It’s unclear what offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy’s future holds with the franchise after firing Rivera
Bienemy has gotten interviews to be a head coach the past few offseasons given his success as the longtime offensive coordinator (2018-2022) and running backs coach (2013-2017) for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin (2022) and running back Brian Robinson Jr. are solid skill position players. Both are under contract with the team through the 2025 season.
Second-year receiver Jahan Dotson is also developing.
The Commanders are stockpiling draft picks too.
The Commanders already gutted their defense by trading defensive ends Montez Sweat to the Bears for a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Washington also has the most salary cap space in the NFL with $81.72 million heading into the 2024 season, according to OverTheCap.com.
The Commanders are a blank canvas for whoever is running their front office in 2024 whether it's Myers or someone else.
3. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In the 2023 season, the Patriots (4-12) benched ̶T̶o̶m̶ ̶B̶r̶a̶d̶y̶’̶s̶ ̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe.
The Patriots' 17-3 lost to the New York Jets on Sunday. It marked the first time the Jets have beaten the Patriots since Dec. 27, 2015.
Sunday’s game could mark Bill Belichik’s final time coaching the Patriots. Belichick has been the team’s de facto general manager since 2000.
It’s been a remarkable run for Belichick. He has a career 333-178 record as a head coach, including the playoffs. Only Don Shula has more total wins as a head coach with a 347-173-6 record.
However, the Patriots finished last in the AFC East for the first time since 2000.
In 2024, the Patriots will likely need to overhaul their entire offense, let alone the starting quarterback.
The Patriots were tied for worst in the NFL with an average of 13.9 points per game.
An ankle injury has limited running back Rhamondre Stevenson to 12 games this season. He’s considered the Patriots best skill position player.
The Patriots’ defense isn’t terrible, especially considering edge rusher Matthew Judon has played only four games due to a torn biceps injury. They ranked 18th in the NFL allowing 21.5 points per game. However, the defense gets left out on the field too long given the offensive struggles. The Patriots had the second-lowest average time of possession at 28 minutes and 2 seconds per game.
New England had the third-most amount of salary cap space heading into 2024 with $73.28 million to spend, according to OverTheCap.com.
The Patriots have many questions to answer, including:
- Will owner Robert Kraft and the team retain Belichik?
- Would Belichik consider giving up his front office responsibilities but continue to remain the team’s coach?
- Who could New England hire instead?
- Could the Patriots seek draft compensation if Belichick wants to coach elsewhere?
While the Patriots don’t offer much offensively, the opportunity to play under Belichick – a future Hall of Fame coach – is still intriguing despite the lack of success after Tom Brady left New England.
4. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals (4-13) will have the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, the Cardinals likely would not draft a quarterback since they already have Kyler Murray.
Murray is under contract through the 2028 season, but he does have a potential out that year.
It’s unlikely another team would want to take on his massive salary, especially as he returned in November from an ACL injury.
Murray is talented. The Cardinals were 1-8 without him this season, and they are 3-5 with him.
If somehow the Cardinals did find a trade partner for Murray, running back James Conner is effective when he stays healthy. Conner is under contract through the 2024 season.
OverTheCap.com shows the Cardinals have about $53.2 million in salary cap space in 2024, which is the ninth-most in the NFL.
Other teams
The New York Giants (6-11) already have quarterback Daniel Jones under a massive contract. Jones will work his way back from a torn ACL and has a dead cap hit of $69.3 million next season. He’ll be back under center for the Giants in 2024.
The Los Angeles Chargers (5-12) have Justin Herbert under contract through the 2029 season. Herbert will likely have a new head coach next season assuming the Chargers move on from interim coach Giff Smith.
The Tennessee Titans (6-11) drafted quarterbacks in back-to-back drafts in Will Levis (2023) and Malik Willis (2022).
The New York Jets (7-10) have Aaron Rodgers due back in 2024.
The Atlanta Falcons (7-10) will likely need a new quarterback after playing Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. They could potentially look to trade up.
The Las Vegas Raiders (8-9) could also look to trade up even despite having quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under contract through 2025.
The Minnesota Vikings (7-10) are another team that could trade up since quarterback Kirk Cousins is due to become an unrestricted free agent. Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. The Vikings have two young talented receivers in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Keep an eye on the Denver Broncos (8-9), who are expected to release Russell Wilson in the offseason.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) will also need to determine whether to bring back Baker Mayfield, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent.
